Still High About HIgh Sierra

[Phillyrich]

When I was a kid, one of my favorite films was the 1941, HIGH SIERRA. Contained a great blend of action, doomed romance, and even a loyal dog. Can't beat that.
I recently rewatched my old dvd (with the door-front case) and I wonder if this film has been remastered on dvd?--it certainly would benefit from it as it has some instability and a few spliced in scenes of lower quality. I think there is an HD download available from amazon--no disc though.
Anyone know if there has been any good writing on this film's making? It was shot partially in the Sierra Nevada mountains--unusual for that time.

[realist]

Well if you stop in at the Western Film Museum in Lone Pine, CA you can see the car Bogart used for the mountain chase scenes. It's in fine shape.

[Wm. Charles Morrow]

When I was a kid, one of my favorite films was the 1941, HIGH SIERRA. Contained a great blend of action, doomed romance, and even a loyal dog. Can't beat that.
I recently rewatched my old dvd (with the door-front case) and I wonder if this film has been remastered on dvd?--it certainly would benefit from it as it has some instability and a few spliced in scenes of lower quality. I think there is an HD download available from amazon--no disc though.

Coincidentally, when you started this thread I’d just received a DVD of High Sierra from Netflix. Hadn’t seen it in decades, and watched it this evening. What a terrific movie! I recalled liking it, but forgot how good it is, over all: literate script, great cast, and B&W cinematography that just sparkles. One of Bogie’s best performances, and the one that rightly made him an A-list star. (I only wish that Willie Best’s crossed-eyed comedy relief hadn’t been so over-the-top.) Interesting twist with the Joan Leslie character, that is, the way the filmmakers undercut any potential sentimentality over handicapped people by letting her cut loose and act like a real person with flaws, not a saint.

I’m assuming that the Netflix disc is the same one you have, put out by Warner Home Video a few years ago. The image quality looked pretty good to me, but I’d be happy to see an upgrade nonetheless.

[Ed Hulse]

Anyone know if there has been any good writing on this film's making? It was shot partially in the Sierra Nevada mountains--unusual for that time.

Not so unusual: Filmmakers have been shooting in that area since 1917 or thereabouts.

[Phillyrich]

Thanks everyone for the comments. Thanks to the gent also, for the book tip (hard to get a private message thru to you).

I'm glad to know I'm not the only guy crazy about this old movie. Most people think I'm nuts, but I still think these movies have a lot to say. They are entertaining, sometimes exciting, and very often, emotionally true---right to the heart.